Editing Openai/69177fbb-14c4-800f-bc57-ccb5a1d88c95 (section)

=== Synthesis: A Realistic Mapping ===

If we create a table of “myth viability”:

| Trait                     | Archaeological Fit | Cognitive Speculation Fit | Mythic Resonance |
| ------------------------- | ------------------ | ------------------------- | ---------------- |
| Deep specialization       | Strong             | Strong                    | Excellent        |
| Small-group focus         | Moderate           | Moderate                  | Strong           |
| Low symbolic excess       | Moderate           | Moderate–High             | Strong           |
| Direct communication      | Weak               | Moderate                  | Medium           |
| Strong caring bonds       | Strong             | Strong                    | Excellent        |
| Spatial/pattern cognition | Moderate–Strong    | Strong                    | Excellent        |
| Limited trade networks    | Moderate           | Weak–Moderate             | Medium           |
| Cultural conservatism     | Moderate           | Moderate                  | Strong           |

Conclusion:
There is a coherent cluster of plausible traits—deep focus, small-group loyalty, spatial reasoning, routine preference, caring bonds—that resonate with autistic self-descriptions. These do not “prove” anything about Neanderthal cognition, but they make the mythic connection symbolically plausible and internally coherent, while remaining honest about the limits of inference.

If you want, we can next build a mythic framework integrating these traits into a narrative that is:
* coherent
* archeologically grounded
* explicitly non-literal
* resonant for autistic identity

Or we can go point-by-point refining which aspects are strongest for the myth.